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Open-source LMS vs Closed Source LMS: What’s right for you

Learning management systems have reshaped the corporate and institutional learning space by making learning accessible anytime, anywhere, with any device of choice. LMSs have been the key driving force behind the paradigm shift from conventional classroom-oriented training to virtual e-Learning.
With the growing adoption of the LMS technology, LMS vendors have come up with a multitude of custom and feature-rich LMS solutions to suit the ever-growing and evolving L & D needs of businesses irrespective of their size and dynamics. If a business is new to the LMS application, it’s advised to go for an open-source LMS. While businesses looking to expand their L & D portfolio may opt for closed source LMSs.

What is an open-source LMS?

Open-source is not a new concept; however, some might wonder how open-source is related to the LMS paradigm and what is an open source LMS.
An open-source LMS has an open-source code that businesses can have access to, customize the code and features to best suit their learning objective. Once the LMS application is launched and live, businesses have the flexibility to create custom course content, make as many as course updates required at their convenience. They even can customize the learning performance measurement metrics to have a better understanding of their audience’s learning journey and progress.

What is a closed source LMS?

Unlike an open-source learning management system, closed source LMSs do not make their source code accessible for all. While this limits the customization capabilities, closed source LMSs are best-suited for specific use case scenarios.

What are the key differences?

The key difference between an open and closed source LMS is the access and availability of source code. Over closed source LMS, open-source learning platforms have the advantage of offering greater flexibility and customization capabilities to the businesses to create and curate course content and measure learner performances.

Advantages of open-source LMS:

Access to source code: An open-source training management system as the name suggests has open-source code, which makes it easy for the businesses to customize the code and LMS feature to suit their learning objective.

Freedom of Customization: Businesses enjoy the flexibility to modify and personalize the LMS according to their training requirements.

Businesses can create and manage eLearning courses or training programs with all the activities, and content that are needed to be included.

Improve Employee Engagement: Updating course content in real-time can help businesses increase employee motivation to proceed with their courses. Also, with gamification strategies or social learning, businesses can help their employees to understand and learn the concepts fast and better.

Accessibility: Open-source LMSs offer round-the-clock access to the business owners as well as the employees. A mobile-responsive open-source LMS offers employees the ability to learn at their own pace and convenience.

With an open-source LMS, businesses can get greater control over the implementation process and the LMS data.

Advantages of closed source LMS:

Better for specific use cases:

Though open-source LMSs have a myriad of benefits, closed LMSs are actually apt for specific use cases and learning scenarios.

Easier to use:

Closed source LMSs are proprietary software readily available in the market. So, businesses don’t have to worry about customization and resulting fallouts if any. These LMSs are even easier to use than the open-source LMSs.
Both open and closed source LMSs have their own set of pros and cons. Thus, it is crucial for businesses to have clarity on their L & D requirements, and to choose the LMS with features to best suit their objective.
For further queries on learning management systems, turn to the experts at Alpha Learn, today!

Name: Jessica Ellen

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Jessica Ellen is the writer and blogger. She is very passionate about her writing. She always wants to make her readers satisfied through her expressive writing.

She has been giving her contribution to high-authority blogs by sharing her experience and ideas.